The Sunshine State will have a new summer visitor this week: a plume of Saharan Dust about the size of the continental United States. Formed 5,000 miles away in North Africa, the plume departed its home continent last week, reaching the Caribbean over the weekend. Now, meteorologists expect it to continue its journey west, settling over the Gulf Coast this week. Though dust clouds aren’t uncommon visitors to the region, this is the largest of the year. But Floridians shouldn’t worry too much: by the time the cloud reaches stateside, it will have lost much of its density. Plus, as severe as it sounds, a country-sized plume isn’t a particularly catastrophic weather event. (However, anyone with respiratory issues is advised to mask up, as dust particles worsen the air quality.) While these clouds can sometimes raise temperatures on the ground by trapping heat, they can just as easily lower temperatures by blocking out the Sun. So what can you expect from this dust-up? Experts say hazy skies, less rain—oh, and a fresh layer of dirt on your vehicles. “[The dust cloud] has probably traveled about 3,000 miles, and it gets washed out into your car,” meteorologist Jason Dunion told the New York Times.
Read it at The New York Times
